Netflix is launching a new tool that allows any user to easily check how fast their Internet connection is.
Dubbed Fast.com, the website will tell the visitor what their download speed is, and needless to say, this is the factor that determines the video quality of what they're streaming. In other words, they can now find out whether Netflix or their ISP is at fault when they can't get their binge on.
According to the company's Vice President of Content Delivery Architecture David Fullagar, it should work more or less the same as other speed-test websites.
"When you're experiencing streaming issues, Fast.com allows you to check the download speeds you're getting from your Internet service provider. Using Netflix servers, Fast.com works like other globally available tools including Speedtest.net, and the results should be similar in most cases," Fullagar says.
What makes it stand from the others is how it's so simple. Users just have to go to Fast.com and wait for it to display the results — no clicks or anything else along those lines. What's more, it's free of ads, and it works with any device, from a smartphone and a tablet to a computer and a smart TV. Anyone who wants to use the tool doesn't even have to be a Netflix member.
It's not without features too, as it lets users compare results to Speedtest.net at a tap of a button.
This goes without saying, but there are arguably a whole lot of other websites that can provide better measurements, not to mention that Fast.com doesn't include upload speeds and ping, to name a few other metrics.
However, this Netflix-branded speed-test tool is perfect for individuals who just want to take a quick look at the status of their Internet connection via an easy-to-use interface.
"We want our members to have a simple, quick, commercial-free way to estimate the speed their ISP is providing," Netflix says.
